Jon Hamm Talks Mad Men’s End, Directing the Drama

Mad Men is perhaps AMC’s biggest-deal property, with a dedicated fan base and much hype for the 60’s-themed drama.

And while fans eagerly await the fifth season of the show in 2012, Jon Hamm has been discussing his feelings on how the series will wrap up. Hamm, who plays lead Don Draper, said he hoped Mad Men would go out on top rather than experiencing a slow-march to cancellation-land. Hamm indicated it wouldn’t be easy to wrap up the show, but that a good ending often underscores a good project:

“It is long enough away that we may not go out on top, but I remain confident. But I think it is nice when things end,… I think that is what stories do — they end. It is hard to write endings and it is hard to come to the end of things, but when it is done right, it is a very satisfying way to appreciate something.”

Hamm isn’t entirely thrilled about the show’s end, though- he says that it’s far enough away for him to talk about the demise of Mad Men more as a concept:

“I’m excited that it is far enough off that I don’t have to sweat it yet. It will be interesting to not have that in my life because it has been such a big part of it for so long.”

Hamm also expressed excitement about his shot at directing the show, getting behind the camera for an episode of Mad Men. Hamm recalls:

“I directed the first one we shot this year… It was an awesome experience, I had a wonderful time doing it. We’ve been doing it for five years and it was really cool to see a completely different side of it.”

New episodes of Mad Men will arrive in March 2012.